 2020, Bread For Life (BFL) will officially be 25 years old. We are planning several outreaches in some communities we serve in and a major celebration in Yaoundé Cameroon in the spring of 2020. However, we are kick-starting the celebration in Kerrville, TX for our friends and partners who may not be able to make it to Cameroon.
As I look back on almost 25 years of BFL I am incredibly grateful! Grateful to witness again and again God providing “...immeasurably more than all we asked or imagined.” Grateful for the tens of thousands of lives that have been touched with the love and hope that only God can give - and grateful to you my friends and family for coming alongside BFL and generously sharing your prayers, talent, and resources.
1n 1995, the first BFL newsletter was sent out to friends and family. If you had told me - that I would be doing essentially the same thing today, but more of it, I would have disagreed. I felt within five years of establishing BFL I would pass on the baton and move on to other things. I was ever so wrong!
People sometimes ask me, “Why do you keep doing what you do? Can’t you earn a better living with less work or doing something else?” Of course I could, but, what I do isn’t work, it is ‘ministry’! Meeting people around the world who tell me how their lives were changed through a chance encounter with the work of BFL gives me satisfaction.
We have served as a catalyst for over two dozen church plants across Cameroon. God has used BFL to start a clinic and three elementary schools across Cameroon. Our recent focus has been in an all-inclusive model school in Douala that was started to meet the needs of autistic children and provide support to their families.
For many years we have reached out to thousands of farmers through our ‘Agricultural Evangelism’ initiative. Five years ago we took a step further by acquiring 250 acres of virgin forest land to develop a ministry base and initiate an integrated sustainable farm and training center that will simultaneously serve as a youth camp. We are envisioning more of such ministry bases across Cameroon. A place to meet, learn, and at the same time providing services and much needed employment. A great combination in a region with a lot of needs.
Thank you again for being part of this work. Please pray for March 22nd! Rev. Del Way has graciously allowed us the use of the Family Life Center of their Church for free. This kick-off banquet would help us look back but more excitingly, look forward to where we are going - and most importantly, why we are going there! I look forward to seeing you in Kerrville on the 22nd of March, or in Cameroon in the Spring 2020!
In celebration of 25 years of passing on the BREAD.
Ernest Ehabe
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 cliché is true, “you cannot hold a torch to lighten another’s path without brightening yours.” As we brighten the paths of others we are directly/indirectly, and inevitably, brightening ours.
God has used BFL to brighten the paths of many and in the process brightening ours, too. We have so many impact stories in 2018. It would take volumes to share.
Early this year, three amongst the many BFL has touched in 2018 returned to say “thank you”, and it brightened our day!
Rev. Augustine Jua serves as a pastor in a small farming community call Mbongo in the Littoral region of Cameroon. The average person there lives on less than $2 a day. Most of them work for a plantation that produces palm oil. Mbongo is one of the three villages we chose for our outreaches in late October and early November 2018. We did free consultations and gave out 1,000 eye glasses donated by Lion’s Clubs that were all brought by Dr. Steve and Nicole Kroger. Some people walked several miles to the free clinic. Many expressed joy and gratitude for the consultations and eye glasses.
In early January, Rev. Jua surprised us with a visit. He brought with him two five liters of palm oil and a small sack of peanuts. He told us it was a gift from the church and the village community. Although the total cost of the gift was less than $20, we were moved by their sense of gratitude and generosity. Their gift reminded me of the ‘widow’s mite.’
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The widows mite: a sacrificial gift from Rev. Jua:
two five liters of palm oil and a sack of peanuts.
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Biscotine Lala has had a tough life. She lives in a small makeshift house next to our farm and survives by growing cassava plants that she transforms into the local food. She lives on the bare minimum. Her thatched roof house had gotten so old that it was at the mercy of any bad weather, especially during the raining season. We felt very strongly that we needed to build her a house before we built any structure in the farm next to her makeshift house. God provided and we did. While visiting the farm in January she approached us with the gift of two live chickens. Her way of saying “thank you.”
Peter Ngale is a young man we sponsored through the university. Like many Cameroonians, he graduated but couldn’t find work. An opening came up for a competitive exam into the lands and survey school in Buea. He passed the exams without bribing anyone. We took another step of faith and paid his tuition, with other related expenses, for two years. He graduated last year. A few weeks ago, he, with another young man (Emmanuel Kari) who we had sponsored through the Polytechnic in Yaoundé, and who graduated as an engineer and a surveyor, visited the farm and offered to do some survey work for us.
These are but a few of the impact stories in 2018. Your prayers and giving made these and many other stories possible! Thank you for partnering with us in 2018 with your L.I.F.E. (Labor, Influence, Finances & Expertise).
2018 is probably our best year on record. Your labor, your influence, your finances and your expertise not only was a source of encouragement but it helped to propel us to new heights.
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Two of our many sponsored students, Peter Ngale and Emmanuel Kari,
doing some survey work for us on our Beulahaland Farms.
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 the heart of BFL are young people. Over 75% of the population across Africa are under the age of 24, making it the world’s youngest continent. These youth offer sustainability for the future of Africa but long for an opportunity to thrive. They need family, healthcare, education, jobs, and experiences that open their minds. Most of all, they need to encounter Jesus Christ.
We are positioning and building Bread For Life to reach these young people (a silent majority) today and position them for leadership (a powerful minority) in the future. Africa has long suffered from a shortage of leaders. Poor leadership has cost the continent immensely over the past few decades – creating major problems in the spiritual, political, economic and social sphere.
We desire to build in such a way that each base will serve to educate young people for Hope and opportunity. For BFL, education encompasses the whole child. We seek to create transformation that is academic, spiritual, physical, and relational Abraham Lincoln succinctly wrote: “The philosophy of the classroom today will soon be the philosophy of the government and the nation tomorrow.” The US’s 16th President clearly observed the link between young minds and the direction of the nation. Many years later, Adolf Hitler agreed, saying, “Let me control the text books and the ideas postulated in the classroom, and I will control Germany.” Martin Luther said it differently, “…schools rule the world.” American celebrities understand this very well. Oprah Winfred invested 40 million dollars a few years ago to build one of the best schools in Africa. Many celebrities have followed her example. They all understand, the way to shape the future is to reach young people today. Can you imagine the kind of future Africa is being positioned for with graduates from these schools?
BFL is passionate about introducing young people to the person of Jesus, as well as meeting physical needs and providing open doors for opportunities. When reached ‘wholistically’ these young people will create a positive spiral of hope and opportunity for themselves, their families and their communities.
Two of our major focuses in the coming year are the school in the heart of Douala and our sustainable farm and training base in Dimako.
In 2016 Ray of Hope Academy was established with 10 students meeting in our home. It has grown to over 50 students and 19 full time staff that are offering quality education in grades Pre-K-5. Almost half of our students are on full or partial scholarship.
Currently, a five bedroom house is rented and has been renovated to meet the need. It is already too small and crowded to adequately serve the needs of this group of children. It is imperative that Ray of Hope finds a new home.
Douala is a city of over 3 million. Land is expensive and difficult to find. A plot has recently been found which will suit the purpose of the school and allow construction for a much larger facility. A design team from Missionary Tech Team in Longview, Texas is working now to design a facility that will accommodate many more regular education students, with a specific design for those children needing special accommodations. Ray of Hope Academy is a one-of-a-kind project in a country desperately needing to be brought into the 21st century in education. All proceeds from our banquet in Kerrville TX on March 22nd will go towards meeting the needs at Ray of Hope Academy this year.
Our other focus is our sustainable farm and training base in Dimako. Future newsletters will highlight both the school and the farm as well as progress made.
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 my will but Yours be done” Luke 22:42b. Never has this scripture been more penetrating in my life than in my time in Cameroon, Africa. I’m an accomplishment person, a hard worker, a planner, scheduler, etc. I like to get things done – to make my list, estimate time to complete, and fill my schedule.
Life in Cameroon is NOT conducive to my time oriented self! Each day I had an idea of how things would go – what I would accomplish. We would even discuss the plan the night before as a team. However, as the day began to unfold, things would progress much differently than I expected. From waiting for a store to open to get needed supplies….to visiting with an unexpected guest…to needing a tire changed before traveling….FLEXIBILITY is PARAMOUNT when visiting Cameroon.
“Not my will but Yours be done”. The Lord is showing me with a megaphone that HE is in CONTROL! His ways, His timing, His will is best! My job is to be His obedient servant; Pray, Go, Work, and REST! He is able to accomplish so much more through us when we remain flexible and rest in Him. He blessed me and accomplished much!
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Top Right: Helping plant cocoa seedlings at Beulahland Farms.
Top Left: Sharon and other team members with some staff at ROHA school.
They did a wonderful job of painting our school for us!
Bottom Right: We have added rabbits to the Beulahland Farms ministry.
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Top: More painting at the school
Bottom: Helping with building staff and guest housing at Beulahland Farms
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We were only there for two short weeks, but the staff at Bread for Life work within this flexible environment every day. Their hard work, expertise, and ability to embrace the flexibility are a marvel. God is doing amazing things throughout Cameroon through Bread for Life. It is His Country, His people, and His ministry – He is doing it in His way! He can and will use us in HIS way. Be flexible, Rest, Go and be blessed!
The Bickels have supported the work of BFL for many years through a yearly garage sale. They came to Cameroon in December with two of their daughters and a team and transformed our school in Douala!
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